14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 7 can create a new Microsoft 6to4 adapter on every reboot, if the PC on which the operating system is installed is restarted while a Virtual WiFi is active. 6to4 adapters are components that Windows 7 users employ in order to ensure that IPv6 packets are correctly transmitted through an IPv4 network. The Redmond company explained that this specific issue affected not only Windows 7 clients, but also Windows Server 2008 R2.
There are a few steps that users can take in order to reproduce the issue. First off, they would need to enable the wireless Hosted Network feature in order to be able to use the Virtual WiFi function on a Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 machine. Next, the computer has to be restarted while the Virtual WiFi is still running, after which customers start the wireless Hosted Network again.
“In this scenario, a new Microsoft 6to4 adapter is unexpectedly created in Device Manager. Additionally, if you restart the computer multiple times, multiple Microsoft 6to4 adapters are created. To view all the adapters that are created, type ipconfig at a command prompt, and then press ENTER,” Microsoft stated.
On restart, Windows 7 attempts to save the enabled Microsoft 6to4 adapter to be reused, and, in this regard, the Plug and Play service shuts down before the process on a restart. However, any existing adapters become unusable when they are reconnected after the reboot, so Windows 7 goes ahead and creates a new virtual adapter.
“To work around this problem, stop the wireless Hosted Network before you restart the computer. To stop the wireless Hosted Network, run the netsh command. To do this, follow these steps: Click StartCollapse this image, Expand this image, click All Programs, click Accessories, and then click Command Prompt. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER: netsh wlan stop hostednetwork. To start the wireless Hosted Network, run the following command: netsh wlan start hostednetwork,” Microsoft added.